Course description
Offered fully online, with face-to-face clinical mentorship experiences, this interprofessional educational experience helps you develop clinical skills, research methodology, depth of knowledge, and the professional behaviours to assess and evaluate, and manage and rehabilitate complex upper extremity conditions. This unique program’s curriculum is mapped to the Certified Hand Therapist (CHT) exam.
Partners in Enhancing Patient Care
This program combines the academic, research and clinical expertise of Western University’s Schools of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy with that of the Roth McFarlane Hand and Upper Limb Centre, a world-renowned centre of excellence in education, research and the diagnosis, care and treatment of patients with complex conditions affecting hands, wrists, elbows and shoulders.
Designed for practicing occupational and physical therapists in search of advanced-level knowledge and skills in upper extremity rehabilitation, this program helps you develop the skills and knowledge to provide enhanced patient care for upper extremity injuries and conditions and to seek advanced accreditation and recognition nationally and internationally.
The curriculum and course offerings of this program are built around the idea that specialized rehabilitation of the upper extremity reflects a synthesis of occupational therapy and physical therapy theory and practice that combines comprehensive knowledge of the structure of the upper limb with function and activity to inform evidenced-based rehabilitation.
Exposure to specialized practice will position graduates of the program to effectively manage the complexity of clinical presentations and enable best practice in upper extremity rehabilitation.
Structure:
Fall Term (September-December): Research Methods, Foundations of Upper Extremity Rehabilitation, Clinical Mentorship and Research Experience
Winter Term (February-April): Advanced Professional Practice, Rehabilitation of Hand Conditions, Clinical Mentorship and Research Experience (continued)
Spring Term (May-August)
Rehabilitation of Shoulder and Elbow Conditions, Clinical Mentorship (continued), Research Experience (continued and Includes Research Day)
Through a Continuing Professional Development framework, this course facilitates the synthesis of the theoretical and practical aspects of a student’s development through a period of mentorship within the work-based/practice environment and documented with a professional portfolio. Students will have the opportunity to work within a variety of settings to enable development of existing knowledge and skills and advanced practice in upper extremity rehabilitation. The Clinical Mentor(s) will enable a student’s development through a partnership of teaching; researching; managing; observing and discussing with innovative practice being encouraged within the framework of safe, legal, and ethical practice as made explicit in any applicable published standards (e.g. professional registration body, specialist competencies etc). Clinical mentorship for this field would come from hand therapists/upper extremity therapists who are willing to act as mentors.
The student will undertake pre-mentorship preparation through an online half-day study day, and online preparatory study. Students will undertake a minimum of 150 hours of experience in a work -based/practice environment. Learning needs may necessitate a range of environments as part of the mentored experience to ensure that all outcomes are achieved. The selection of the work-based environment is negotiated by the student in collaboration with the field leader, dependent upon their individual learning needs and their program field and any specialist requirements. A variety of patterns of delivery of the 150 hours experience are possible, encompassing part-time and full-time modes as well as a variety of models of experience e.g. clinical practice, observation of practice, case analysis, situational online clinical reasoning, telehealth, e-mentoring, FTF mentoring etc. Current registration with appropriate professional/regulatory bodies is required as appropriate to the negotiated mentored practice.
Students are responsible for securing their own clinical mentor(s).
As a student in Advanced Health Care Practice master’s program, you’re eligible for advanced standing toward the Certified Health Executive (CHE) designation.
Details
Contributing Experts (not exhaustive):
Mike Szekeres, PhD, OT Reg (Ont), CHT
Field Leader and Assistant Professor, Advanced Health Care Practice Program in Upper Extremity Rehabilitation
Associate Editor, Journal of Hand Therapy
President, Hand Therapy Canada
Certified Hand Therapist
Joy MacDermid, PT, PhD
Editor, Journal of Hand Therapy Past
President, American Society of Hand Therapists
Co-director Clinical Research Lab, Roth | McFarlane Hand and Upper Limb Centre, St. Joseph’s Health Centre, London, ON
Distinguished University Professor, Physical Therapy and Orthopedic Surgery, University of Western Ontario
Dr. James Roth Chair in Musculoskeletal Measurement and Knowledge Translation.
Canada Research Chair in Musculoskeletal Health Outcomes and Knowledge Translation
Paul Parikh, PT, DPT, PhD, FCAMPT
Assistant Professor, School of Physical Therapy, Western University
Kristin Valdes, OTD, OT, CHT
Associate Editor, Journal of Hand Therapy
Past President, American Society of Hand Therapists Associate
Professor, Touro University
Certified Hand Therapist
Tara Packham, PhD, OT Reg (Ont)
Assistant Professor, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, McMaster University
Executive Editor, Pain Medicine
Christos Karagiannopoulos MPT, MEd, PhD, ATC, CHT
Associate Professor, DeSales University, DPT Program
Certified Hand Therapist
Editorial Board Member, Journal of Hand Therapy
Pat McKee, MSc, BSc(OT)
Associate Professor Emeritus, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto
President, Anatomy Softwear International Inc.
Ann Porretto-Loehrke, PT, DPT, CHT, COMT, CMTPT
Clinical Development Coordinator
Hand to Shoulder Center of Wisconsin, Appleton, Wisconsin
Ken Flowers, PT, CHT
Editor Emeritus, Journal of Hand Therapy
Certified Hand Therapist
